smallpox eradication - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

10. THE INTENSIFIED PROGRAMME, 1967-1 980 465
assigning a cash value to it but different
donors assigned different values to the same
L.
product. For example, most vaccine was
valued at US$10-16 per l000 doses but values
as high as US0256 per 1000 doses were
assigned by some donors. The average value
for all vaccine contributed worked out at
US017 per l000 doses, although estimates of
the actual costs of vaccine production in the
industrialized countries in the early 1970s
were in the range of US$30-40 per 1000
doses.
It may be noted that in several instances
the amounts in Table 10.6 are different from
those recorded by the Global Commission for
the Certification of Smallpox Eradication in
Annex 16 to its Final Report (World Health
Organization, 1980). The differences are the
consequences of adjustments made in the
light of more recent information. In addition,
Annex 16 included the ralue of some bilateral
contributions made before 1967 (notably by
the USA and the USSR) and of cash and
raccine pledged during the period 1967-
1979 by India, the USSR and the Japan
Shipbuilding Industry Foundation but received
after 1979; these amounts have been
omitted from Table 10.6.
An attempt was also made to place a cash
value on the services of volunteer personnel.
For accounting purposes, a figure of US0750
per month was assigned, an estimate provided
by one of the principal donor governments.
This figure, as well as a number of other
approximations that were made, undoubtedly
understates to some degree the ralue of gifts
in kind. All but impossible to estimate, and
not included here, is the value of services
pro\*ided by many local, non-governmental
groups, such as the League of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies; Kiwanis, Lions and
Rotary Clubs; youth groups, such as the Boy
Scouts and Girl Guides; and missionary
groups. In a number of countries such groups
were most helpful in organizing vaccination
campaigns, mobilizing public support and,
sometimes, performing vaccinations. A few
contributed funds in support of local programmes,
although in comparison with national
and international contributions. the
cash ralue of all such contributions was not
large.
Although voluntary contributions were
recognized by the Health Assembly to be an
essential adjunct to the WHO regular budget,
such support was difficult to obtain. Every
year, Health Assembly resolutions requested
all countries to provide additional support
and everv , vear , the Director-General sent
letters to all Member States and to relevant
international agencies, referring to the
Health Assemblv resolution and asking " for
help. Smallpox eradication programme staff
regularly met potential donors at the World
Health Assembly and during special visits to
national capitals and embassies ; special meetings
of potential donors were convened ; and
influential national figures who were sympathetic
to the programme were regularly
contacted to seek their " good offices in
obtaining support. Despite these efforts and
despite the fact that the eradication of
smallpox would be of great benefit to all
countries, contributions were modest at best.
This may have reflected a certain scepticism
as to the feasibility of eradication ; however, it
also reflected the fact that WHO, except for
malaria eradication, had not previously been
active in seeking supplementary contributions
and governments were unaccustomed
to making them. As Table 10.7 shows, except
in resDect of malaria eradication. the contributions
to the special accounts that made up
the Voluntary Fund for Health Promotion
did not exceed US02 million in any year until
1968, and of all the contributions made
between 1967 and 1975,18q/, were for smallpox
eradication.
Vaccine for the programme was obtained
entirely from voluntary contributions or
local production. From 1967 to 1979, 27
countries contributed 407 million doses of
vaccine to the Voluntary Fund, more than
60°b of this coming from the USSR. Although
industrialized countries provided
most of the donated vaccine. notable contributions
of vaccine were also made by
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guinea, India,
Iran, Kenya, Peru, Philippines and Thailand.
Efforts to obtain support from UNICEF
and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) proved disappointing,
although both agencies had previously
given significant support to other WHO
programmes, as well as some support
for smallpox eradication before 1967. Between
1967 and 1972, UNICEF provided
US0427 878 for vaccine and vaccine production
equipment but none thereafter-a policy
reflecting its disappointment with the lack of
progress in malaria eradication and its decision
not to support another attempt to
eradicate a disease. The possibility of support
from UNDP was explored with the resident